The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandated the adoption of standard unique identifiers for health care providers and health plans. The purpose of these provisions are to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the electronic transmission of health information. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) to assign these unique identifiers.

You must apply for a National Provider Identifier (NPI) in order to pursue your individual practice or to practice with a group. The NPI is used for many purposes including, but not limited to, identifying the rendering provider for a health service, identifying the referring provider for a referred health service and identifying the individual or group provider to be paid for a health service. All facilities, health plans and other healthcare entities utilize the NPI in an integral fashion to the health services you will provide. Without a NPI, you effectively cannot practice.

A NPI may be necessary as early as during your graduate medical education, and certainly by the time your residency begins. In many instances, administrative and billing staff may apply for, and maintain a NPI on your behalf. Keep in mind that a NPI is an individual number. As such you, as the provider, should always maintain control and access to your NPI.

If you do not have a NPI, click here to go to the NPPES website to apply for a number. You will be applying for a Type 1 NPI.

To save your NPI information, register, log in and go to the Practice Preparations section behind our secure firewall.